


Rumor Has It

by 42hrb



Series: The Jaytim Canon Divergent AU No One Asked For [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, POV Jason Todd, Pre-Slash, WHAT DO YOU MEAN TIM'S MISSING? NO HE'S NOT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 14:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10164626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/42hrb/pseuds/42hrb
Summary: Word on the street is that Red Robin hasn't been around lately. Jason goes to investigate why.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Set in an AU where Tim didn't go missing/die during the events of Detective Comics 940. 
> 
> Umm.. this is my first Jaytim... so I'm sorry.

It was one in the morning, prime time to be on patrol, but Jason Todd wasn’t patrolling his usual turf. He’d heard a rumor on the streets that he needed to verify for his own sanity. There were a lot of unverified rumors on the streets of Gotham and Jason made it his mission to verify the ones that affected him.

He opened the balcony door to the penthouse silently and said, “I hear you’re getting out of the game, probably going off to college, moving out of the mansion, taking off the batpants for the last time.”

“Hello to you too,” Tim said, not bothering to turning around. He hadn’t reacted at all when Jason started talking which made Jason wonder if he had cameras on the building or if he had cameras on him. 

“Hi Tim, how are you? Lovely night,” Jason said, sauntering to where Tim sat on the couch. He had three laptops open and running in front of him, “Are the rumors true?”

“No one ever gets out of the game. There’s one way out of this life, and that’s in a body bag, you know that better than anyone,” Tim said, his voice steely. 

“Sounds like you’ve thought about it,” Jason said, jumping over the back of the couch and landing with a dull thump next to Tim. 

“There’s more to the world than Gotham,” Tim said, then he touched his ear where he must have had a comm in because he said, “Orphan, there’s a mugging two blocks north.”

“You don’t have to tell  _ me _ that there’s more to the world than Gotham,” Jason said, leaning back and kicking his boot clad feet onto the table. “There’s a great big world out there Replacement.”

Tim side eyed him and Jason laughed, “Why are you here Jason?”

“That is the question isn’t it? Why am I here? Why did I get brought back to life? Why was I brutally murdered?” Jason said casually, reaching back to take his helmet off. The air was cool on his face and his sweat damp hair.

“Why do you keep bringing that up?,” Tim asked, but it was lighter than his tone had been before, which was what Jason had been aiming for. 

“So where are you off to Princess, going to go see the world?”

“I got into college,” Tim said, quieter than before, “I mean, I probably won’t go.”

“Why the fuck not,” Jason said, his head snapping to glare at Tim. He was glad that he took his helmet off so that Tim could feel the full heat of the look. 

Tim gave him a bitchy look before he spoke, “You don’t get out of this life.”

“Bruce would shit a brick if he heard you say that. Go to fucking college Baby bird,” Jason said, trying to sound harsh, but he knew his voice had come out almost soft. Maybe he was going soft, he should be out patrolling and instead he was sitting with Tim at the penthouse all because he had heard that Red Robin hadn’t been spotted in two weeks.

“Bruce offered to upgrade my bike so I can make it back here faster on weekends to see the family,” Tim said, sounding a little guilty, “Steph threatened to break my arms if I don’t go so I’d be benched anyway.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” Jason asked, contemplating taking his boots off, they felt heavy on his feet. 

“What if something happens while I’m gone? What if someone gets hurt because I wasn’t here to protect them?,” Tim said, running a hand through his hair, “Dick’s in Bludhaven, Damian is leading the Teen Titans, Gotham needs a Robin and if I go to school I’d need to be there 100%, I can't be 100% in two places though.”

“I hate to break it to you kid, but Gotham can survive a few years without Tim Drake-Wayne patrolling the streets every night,” Jason said, “There’s a whole team of superheroes out there now.”

To exaggerate his point he pointed to the screens where Orphan was handcuffing a would be mugger to a fence and Spoiler was chasing after a petty thief, “This is an easy night.”

“And you’d be what? An hour away. That’s as close as Dick is,” Jason said, not sure why he was pushing Tim to leave. He’d miss the Replacement if he did, but he knew that he'd be back even if he did go. 

“Yeah about that,” Tim said, he tossed a letter to Jason. 

It was Tim’s acceptance to Ivy University, “Genius Scholarship, of course you’d get that, fucking nerd.”

Tim smirked, “Accelerated program too, I’d be done in 2 years.”

“You better fucking go,” Jason said, the letter crumpling a little in his grip, “I’ll tell B about this if you don’t.”

“Careful there Jay, I’m starting to think you care,” Tim said with a laugh.

“Don’t be a shit,” Jason said, leaning back and closing his eyes. Christ how did he not realize how tired he was, when was the last time he slept properly? It must have been over 48 hours ago, “I hate you the least out of the whole Bat crew.”

“I’m touched,” Tim said, shooting Jason one last look before he turned his eyes back to the screens and touched his comm, “Batman there’s a group of masked guys at the docks, want me to send back up?”

Jason couldn’t hear what was said back, he had tuned out of the Bat frequency on his comms, they could get him if they needed him, but he didn’t want their constant chatter in his head, he had enough going on up there without all that.

“You’re welcome to sleep here,” Tim said a few minutes later, “Just know I won’t stop what I’m doing.”

“Wouldn’t ask you to do that,” Jason said, leaning forward and unlacing his boots, “Can’t sleep when it’s quiet anyway.”

“I just can’t sleep,” Tim said and his voice was lighter, back to normal instead of heavy like it had been when they were talking about him leaving.

“What’s got you benched anyway?” Jason asked as he removed his second boot before kicking his feet back onto the table. He had looked him over when he walked in and he didn’t appear to have any serious injuries, at least no visible ones.

“A couple bruised ribs,” Tim said, “And we figured it would be smart to pull Red Robin off the streets before I left so it wouldn’t look like he left the same time Tim Drake-Wayne did.”

“You’ve earned that genius grant then,” Jason said, letting his eyes slip shut. He drifted off to sleep to the sound of Tim typing, occasionally talking into his comm, and the distant sounds of the Gotham streets below. 

When he woke the next morning there was quiet. He was still on the couch in the penthouse, but he had been covered in a blanket that smelled like the detergent Alfred used at the Manor. Tim’s computers were still sitting on the table, but the screens were dark. He looked at his phone and saw it was nearly noon.

He stretched before he pulled his boots back on and made his way to the open kitchen. There was a note in the counter in Tim’s tiny handwriting telling him there was leftover pancakes and bacon in the fridge if he wanted it. It also told him to let himself out since he clearly knew how to get in.

Jason laughed to himself as he grabbed the pancakes and ate them cold. He knew that Tim had made extra food because he was there. He also knew that Tim would never admit that. Their relationship had changed a lot since Jason came back, mostly because Jason had stopped trying to kill him and well, mostly because Jason had stopped killing in general. 

It was harder to leave the penthouse in the middle of the day than it was to come in in the middle of the night. He found a shirt that was big enough to fit over his kevlar and a backpack for his helmet before he ducked out of the apartment and out of the building. 

Once he made it to one of his safe houses he took a quick shower before he started some research into a new gang that was popping up in his territory. 

Before he went out on patrol that night he shot Tim a text, “Go to college, just don’t forget the little people when you’re a world famous scientist.”

Tim texted back quickly. It was just a middle finger emoji which made Jason laugh as he made his way to the roof of a nearby building. He smiled a smile that was just for him when he saw Tim’s second text, “Couldn’t forget you assholes if I tried.”

He knew that Tim would be back. They all got pulled back in eventually, some from the grave. He’d only admit it to himself, but he was glad Tim was getting out for a while. The kid had earned his place in Gotham, in the Wayne family, in the Bat Family and he’d always be welcomed back with open arms. 

As much as Jason wanted Tim to get out, he knew he’d miss him. That was something he wasn’t ready to admit yet, not even to himself. Jason had finally started to feel alive again, as close to whole as he’d ever felt, and he knew that Tim Drake has something to do with that, but that was a thought process for a later date, tonight Jason had his mask on and he had some criminals to punch. 

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](exhuastedpigeon.tumblr.com)


End file.
